Vacuum street-cleaning machine



P. I. DUNN.

VACUUM SWEET CLEANING I'IEI-IIIIE APPLICATION FILED NCIV. 8, ISIS.

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P. I. DUNN.

VACUUM STREET CLEANING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 8, 15H9.

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s ad 9 H I II fm 1 QE II w MM m @UQ @wu NANA E \I v y O M Tlv@ w ..I III .I IN \L 1m 3 N QQ E m, i MI UU J M QQI NN Improvements in Vacuum Street-Cleaning l UNITED STATES `.PATRICK ci. DUNN,

PATENT OFFICE.

OF HOLLAND, OHIO.4

VACUUM STREET-CLEANING MACHINE.

Speeiieation of Letters Patent.

Patented oct. 19, 1920.

Application filed November 8. i919. Serial No. 336,5461.

`Machines`, of which the following is a specihcation. reference being had to the accompanyiiig drawings.

This invention relates' to an improved vacuum street, cleaning machine, which has for its object to provide a simple, efficient and durable machine capable. when manu- -ffa'cture'd, of being produced for a relatively lowcost and sold at a reasonableprofit.

' Another object of the invention consists in provision of al vacuum cleaning machine 'particularly adapted foi` cleaning streets,

- alleys, sidewalks and the like, and one which has Abeen found practical which includes Y novel features ofconstruction.

' As a further object of the invention, it is the aim to provide a new construction of machine for.v cleaning various thoroughfares i vand having a suction end through which the ing through the suction pi? and one which includes a suction pipe having means for creating a suction therein,

'debris is drawn, there being rotarv brushes adjacent the suction end of the sucttion pipe to aid in forcing the rubbish or refuse through the suction' end, whereby it may be drawn into a suitable receptacle,` after passf .iiecting means is employed adjacent the rotaryfbrushes, whereby the refuse mayv readily enter 'the suction pipe.

-`A stilll further object of invention is tol provide rotary brushes carried by the `vsuction end of the suction tube having their bristles spirally arranged, the spiral being `refuse will be forced toward the center' of the suction end so as to easily enter the sucn tion pipeand also be brushed upon the de- 'ctor plate. l Further, it is'tl'ie aim to provide improved .for'mounting-the suction pipe on the'V "earsupporting wheels of -the machine tilt- .ably, whereby the suction pipe may be tilted .soas to throw the gear connections between fthe suction creating means and the drive axle out of gear. Vhen the suction means is thrown out of gear, the rotary brushes of the I suction end of thel suction tube will cease to `operate, since they are geared with the gear Farther, de-

e material to bes trziiiisported to a dump or reduction plant is. designed to be connected te the street cleaning machine. Furthermore, vit is the aim that the body of the truck or wagon is designed to have pivotal \movement in a horizontal plane so as to permit the vacuum street cleaning machine to make turns as thetruclcor wagon turns.

lVhile the .design and construction at present 4illustrated-and set forth is deemed preferable. it is obvious that as aiesult of a. reduction of the invention to a more prac'- tical form for commercial purposes, the invention may be susceptible to changes, and

the right to these changes is claimed, provided they -are comprehended .within the scope of what is claimed.

The invention comprises further features and combination of parts, as will he hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawings, and claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a view in side elevation of the improved vacuum street cleaning machine .constructed in accordance with the invention. i

Fig. 2 is a to'p plan view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on line 3 3 of Fig. 2 longitudinally through the machine.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view through the suction tube, sh owing. the suction creating means.

Fig. 5r is a transverse vertical sectional view on line 5.-5 of Fig. 1.

Referring more especially to the drawings, 1 designates a suitable frame, which may be any general construction or configuration' and may be constructed of any suitable ma,- terial. This frame is mounted upon forward and rear axles 2 and 3 provided with 'forward drive supporting andrear traction drive wheels t and 5. The supporting axle 3 carries a frame 5a.,` which supportsa triangular shaped frame t3. A suitable saddle t 1s swivelly mounted upon the triangular shaped frame, and in turn supportsa blower or suction pipe or tube 8. that this vsuction. tube or pipe is capable of tilting movements, and slightly to the rear of the fulcrum of the suction pipe, the pipe is provided with laterally and rearwardlj7 extending casings 9. provided with chambers 10. The outer walls of these casings 9 have openings 11 through which air is drawn and secured to the inner faces of the outer walls of the casings are aps 12, which .are adapted to open to allow air to enter the chambers through the openings 11.

Journaled in bearings of the casings 9 are Shafts 13, which Carr)T revoluble fans 14e; These fans as well ,as the casings 9 and the suction tube or pipeA 8 ma)Y be construct` ed of anyv suitable material, preferably sheet metal. The blades of the fan 11 for the ),reater part of their lengths extend radially from the hubs of the fans. However, the outer portions of the blades are curved as shown iii the direction of rotation of the fan, and as the blades rotate air is drawn in through the opening 11 about the axis of rotation of the fans. Owing` to the blades being curved in the direction of rotation of the fans, this inrush of air is forced forwardljv through the suction tube,` tliereb)v creating a vacuum in the rear part of the tube. The lower ends of the shafts 13 are provided with beveled gears 15, which mesh with the beveled gears 16, which in turn are carried bv a transverse shaft 1T. This transverse shaft 17 is mounted in suitable bearings of a depending frame 18. which is carried b v the suction pipe or tube 8. Also mounted in bearings of the depending frame y 18 are shafts 19 and 2() provided with meshing gears'21 and 22. `The gear 21 meshes with a gear 23, which is carried centrallj7 upon `the transverse shaft 1T. Carried bjthe drive axle 3 of the rear supporting drive wheels is a 'spur gear 24e. which meshes with the spur gear 22 when the suction pipe or tube 8 is lowered. It will be seen that when the suction pipe or tube 8 is lowered motion will be transmitted from the rear drive axle 8 to the fan shafts 13 through the medium lt will be noted `2T and arranged in a space between the adjacent ends of'the hubs of the rotarybrushes is a sprocket 30 provided with a sprockety chain 31. The bristles of the rotary brushes lare spirally arranged, the spirals extending from the adjacent ends of the brushes toward their outer ends, so that therefuse dr dirt is swept toward the center, as the suc- I tion'end of the suction pipe or tube travels" over the surface which is .heilig cleaned.

The rotary brushes are mounted in acharnber of the suction end of the suction'tube or pipe, and the dirt or refuse as it isfruptured fromthe pavement is brushed or swept toward the rear wall 32. The dirt or refuse falls back upon the pavement or other surtace which is being cleaned, and as the suction inlet 33 of the suction duct 3l of the suction tube passes over the surface, the dirt or refuse is sucked or drawn through the suction duct. The sprocket chain 31 passes throughia slot in the forward wall of the chamber in which the brushes rotate, and in turn passes over a sprocket 35 carried b v the shaft-19 of the depending frame 18, so as to rotate the brushes in the direction of the arrow a, so that the dirt or refuse may be brushed or swept toward the wall v 32. f1`he 'forward end of the suction tube or pipe\8 communicatively connects with a receptacle 36 carried upon the main frame of the machine,- by means of a slip joint as indicated at 3T. .This slip joint or connection with the receptacle 36 is afforded owing to the receptacle beingstationary, and in view of the fact that it is necessariv for the suction tube 8 to be tilted, .so as to move the gear connections of the rotating fans in and out of gear with the drive axle of the machine. The dirt or refuse when drawn j into the suction tube deposits at its forward end of the tube into the receptacle 3G. A tube 38 is carried upon the suction tube 8 and it also has a slip connection 39 similar I to the connection'l with the receptacle 3G. This tube 38 extends rearwardljv and has communicative connections 0 with the rear portion of the suction tube or pipe 8. so as tol return the air that is forced into the receptacle back to and through the suction tube 8. `Where the tube 38 has a slip connection 39 with the receptacle. a gauze or other fabric covering 41 of several plies is f provided. so as to filter the air as it is allowed to return through the tube 38. in other words to separate the dirt or refuse from the air.

Mounted in bearings of the frame of the machine is la shaft L13 having a segmental rac-k plate 43a rockable therewith. there being a lever 14 carried b v the. shaft and movable with the segmental rack plate, wherebythe plate may be rocked in one direction or the other. Mounted pivotally, at 45, -on bearings of the frame of the machineis an oscillating bar 46. One end of this bar 46 has pivoted thereto links'47, which in turn are pivotally connected at 48 to the suction tube or pipe 8. The other end of the oscillating bar 46 carries a segmental rack plate 49, the teeth of which mesh with the teeth of the segmental rack plate 43a. Then the lever 44 is moved in the direction of the arrow b, the segmental rack plates 43a and 49 coperate, thereby causing the bar 46 to' oscillate, which in turn will pull upon the links 4T and cause the suction tube or pipe 8 totilt. lVhcn the suction pipe or tube 8 is tilted inthis manner, the spur gear 22 will disengage from the spur gear 24 of the drive axle 3 of the machine, thereby stopping the suction fans which are mounted in the chambers 10. When th'e suction fans are at rest,

the rotary brushes also cease rota-ting, and

this improvedl vacuum street cleaning ma-` chine may be either driven by motor power or by draft animal power.

It will b e noted that the lvacuum street .cleaning machine is supported upon a two- Wheeledsulky affair, the wheels 5 of which serve as drive wheels for operating the revoluble fan when the suction pipe-or tube 8 is lowered, as in Fig. 1. The-n the suction pipe or tube 8 is posltioned as shown in Fig. 3, the gears 22 and24 mesh, therebytransmitting motion from the wheels 5 to the axle and thence to the gearing carried by the suction'pipe or tube, and then to the .rev-

oluble fans in the chambers 10. The rear portion of the suction pipe or tube .8 is supported' upon caster wheels 25a. The revoluble brush isdriven through a sprocket chain connection 3.1 with the gearing between the 'axle 3 of the wheels 5 and the revoluble fans. As the street cleaningmac'hine passes over the surface of the pavement, the dirt and debris is Adra-wn through the suction pipe or tube and discharged into the receptacle 36.- This receptacle or bodyof the truck may be constructed as shown, though not necessarily, for itis obvious that it may be otherwise constructed. For instance, it may be made collapsible. Furthermore, the receptacle or body 1s deslgned-to be airand passes rearwardly through the'tube 38,

and thence into the chamber 40, w'hich is Vformed upon the rear part of thesuction' pipe or tube. The air in the chamber 40a then passes in the suction 'pipe or4 tube 8 through the opening 40b and is then drawn by the revolublel fans into the forward part of the tube 8, and back` into the receptacle, thereby causing a. suctionor vacuum in the lower rear portion of the vacuum pipe. It 1s the aim to prevent any escapement of air from the receptacle or body S6- excepting through the gauze orv fabric. covering 4 1, as explained above.

In order that the suction tubeor pipefS may tilt, so as to disengage the sucking end of the tubefrom the pavement, theiforwa-rd end of the vtube is provided with an airtight slip joint with the dirt receptacle. By this construction, the debris or dirt is a1- lowed to enter the receptacle, and when it is desired to disengage the gearing of 'the fansv from the operating means, the tube may be very easily tilted, which causes a disengagement of the gears 22 4and-24 and when this occurs the fans will cease rotating.

`T he drive wheels have ratchet connectionsy with the axle 3, so that the drive wheels may be' properly rotated, and facilitate theturning of the apparatus. The ratchet connections comprise the pivoted spring tensioned paws 5a which coperate with the ratchet teeth of the ycollars 5".

Suitable casings l5c ,are carriedv by. the hubs vably mounted upon thefranle andhaving a slip joint with the receptacle, suction creating means carrled by the tube, 'the rear 'iis partof the tube havin a suction end, gear connections between tie vsuction creating means and the rear supporting wheels, and

means for tilting the suction tube to' move the ear connections out of gear with the sha t of the drive wheels. V A

2. In a vacuum street cleaning machine,l the combination wit-h a frame having rear supporting wheels andprovided with a dirt receiving receptacle. tof a vsuctionv tube ti ably'mounte'd upon the frame and having ai. its forward end a loose connection with said receptacle, the. rear portion of the suction, tube terminating a suction end.- suction creating means carried by the tube and pro and the tube adapted to be ac" tilting the tube to move the co ill .neeti-ons out of engagenieilit with the axle ot the wheels. i

ln a vacuum' street bleaning machine, the combination with a traine having rear supporting wheels and provided with a dirt receiving receptacle, ot a suction tube tilt.-

brushes carried by the suction end and having operative connections with the gear coniections ot the suction creating means, and means connecting the suction tube and the raine'and adapted to be manipulated for til wheels.

a. ln a vacuum street cleaning machine, the combination with a' traine havin@ rear supporting wheels and provided with refuse receiving receptacle, of a suction tubetilt.

` ably mounted upon the trame and including a suction creating means, gear connections between said suction creating means and the axle ot' said wheels, the rear portion ot the suction. tube terinii'iating in a suction end `provided with a suction mouth, rotary i 7.brushes carried by the suction end and hav- "ing operative connections with the gear connections ot" the suction creating means, a roel; shaft mounted in bearings of the frame and having a segmental gear, a second shaft in bearings of said frame, a segmental. gear on kthe second shaft and meshing with the tirst segmental gear and having a link connection with the forward end of the suction tube, and means for operating the rock shaft,

, whereby the forward end otl the suction tube may be moved downwardh7 out of registration with the receptacle. I

5. ln a vacuum street cleaning machine, a. frame having rear supporting wheels and provided with a refuse receiving receptacle, a. suction tube tiltablv mounted on the trame and provided with a slipping communica tive connection with said receptacle, suction uiting the suction tube to move the .geek connections out ot gear with the axle of the m.; :tessere creating means in the tube and having gear connections with the axle of the wheelsji chamber carried by the tube reaiwa'rdlyv of the suction creating means and alsoy having a slipping communicative connection withv` said receptacle, the rear portion ot the suction tube terminating in a. suction mouth, and means carried by the frame manually actuated and. connected to the forward end ot the suction tube :tor severing the commu'- nicative connections between the forward end ot the suction tube and the receptacle.

t). In a vacuum street cleaningl machine, a trame, rear support-ing wheels therefor, a retuse receiving receptacle onsaid frame, a suction tube tiltablv mounted upon the frame and having at its forward end yaislip'- ping communicative connection With ty e receptacle, suction creating' means in said tube operatively connect-ing with the axle of the support-ing wheels, an air receiving chamber carried by the tube at the rear ot the suction creating means, a pipe connected' to said chamber and having a slipping communicative connection with the receptacle, and means mounted on the traine and connected to the tube for tilting the same for severing 'the communicative connection between the receptacle and the tube and pipe.

7. ln a vacuum street cleaning machine, a

traine, rear supporting wheels therefor, a

refuse receivingreceptacle on said trame. a suction tube tilt-abbT mounted upon the trame and having at its forward end a slipping communicative connection with the receptacle, suction creating means in said tube operativelv connecting with the aXle ot the supporting wheels, an air receiving cha n'iber carried by the tube at the rear of the suction creating means, a pipe connected to said chamber and having a slipping communica` tive connection with the receptacle, and means mounted on the trame and connected to the tube for tilting the saine for severing the communicative connection between the receptacle and the tube and pipe. said tube when tilted causing a disconnection of the operative connections with the axles of the wheels,y thereby stopping` the operation ot the suction creating means.

ln testimony whereof l hereunto atlix my signature. PATRICK J. DUNX. 

